You have just gotten back to your dorm after three back-to-back classes, but your day is not over yet. You still have a bunch of work to get done, so you fire up your laptop and try to sign into Canvas. But something is wrong. The screen is buffering; Canvas won’t load. This is a disaster — your assignment is due tomorrow, and it’s worth half your grade.

Why is this happening, you may ask? Because the Northeastern Wi-Fi is not working at the moment, a problem that is all too common these days throughout campus.

This scenario is admittedly a little outlandish, but it does seem that NUwave, Northeastern’s primary Wi-Fi network, has been down more times than not this semester. This causes a range of emotions in students, from rage to despair, and is truly a frustrating experience. It can prevent you from doing your work or even just trying to relax by watching Netflix or Youtube on your computer.

This is not a problem confined to the student body. Throughout classrooms across campus, professors have been dealing with interruptions during class, as when the Wi-Fi fails, their presentations or videos stop working. I’ve been in several classes in which class was delayed or online class materials could not be used at all because of Wi-Fi disruptions. 

I’ve had countless conversations about the Wi-Fi problem. They usually follow a pattern: a friend and I are working when the Wi-Fi stops. One of us says a few choice words, then complains that Northeastern can’t keep the Wi-Fi working despite how much we pay to go to school here. I’m sure many other people have had similar conversations.

Why is this an issue at a university like Northeastern? I have a few unlikely possibilities: Maybe, this is just an elaborate way to help students get off their phones. Or, maybe the school is trying to make more students fail so they have to take more classes and stay in school longer — thus paying more!

Finally, it could just be good old-fashioned incompetence on the administration’s behalf. 

I think the third option is most likely, since the first two are pretty ridiculous. At a university where the total cost of attendance is $86,000 a year, how is it possible that it cannot afford to keep the Wi-Fi up and running consistently? Has the administration forgotten to pay the bill?  

This needs to change, and quickly. It is embarrassing for the school and just plain annoying for students and faculty. I implore the administration — who I am sure is completely unaware of this situation — and the IT department to do something about this shameful Wi-Fi debacle before it permanently tarnishes Northeastern’s proud name. 

I am being a little tongue-in-cheek by saying all of this, but the Wi-Fi is a serious problem that is really annoying this year. It would make the Northeastern experience much more enjoyable if students had consistently reliable Wi-Fi. 

Robby is a combined journalism and international affairs major. He can be reached at [email protected]. 

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